Bridal Guide January 2024

JANUARY 25, 2024 • Bradford Publishing Company

Many wedding vendors available through Olean Area Chamber Clever ways to invite people to be in your wedding party Local brides are rethinking some traditions

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JANUARY 25, 2024 • Bradford Publishing Company

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Bradford Publishing Company • JANUARY 25, 2024

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JANUARY 25, 2024 • Bradford Publishing Company

Many wedding vendors available through Olean Area Chamber

By BOB CLARK

OLEAN — Looking for a vendor for your upcoming nuptials? Check with area businesses, said the Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce.

Jewelry, flowers, dresses and suits, caterers, cakes and many other wedding necessities can be had from the more than 200 Chamber members. Even area nonprofit groups also offer services such as venue rentals, activities or gift options.

The Chamber also offers gift certificates, which are accepted at all Chamber members. For more information, visit the Chamber office, 301 N. Union St., or www.oleanny.com.

Grocery Stores — BJS Wholesale, Jim’s Park & Shop, Park & Shop Service Stores, Ried’s Food Barn, TOPS - Olean, Walmart Allegany Hair Salons — A

Jason Clemons Salon, AQUARIA Salon, Ray’s Hairstyling & Barbershop

Restaurants and Catering — 3rd

Base Bar & Grill, 3C’s Catering, A&J’s Subs Pizza & Grill, Allegany American Legion Charles Harbel Post 892, Angee’s Restaurant, Ann Marie’s Baklava, Applebee’s Bar & Grill, Beef ‘N’ Barrel, Century Manor, Clark’s Subs, Domino’s Pizza, Dunkin Donuts, Grand Slam Bar & Grill, Green

Acres Cafe, Hi Ho Drive In, Hometown Bar & Grill, Homeplate News, Hungry Burro, Kopper Keg, LA Dolce Vita, Luigi’s Pane and Pasta, Mangia 2.0 Pizzaria, Mio Gelato /Renna’s West, Mirchi Bar N Grill, Myrge Café & Coffeehouse, Napoli Pizza Olean, Old Library Restaurant, On the Side Sub Shop, Perkins Restaurant, Pig Out Place, PizzaLand, Rafi’s Platter, Randy’s Fireside, Randy’s Up the River, Red’s & Trudy’s, Renna’s Pizza, Sprague’s Maple Farms, State King, Subway - State St., Talty’s Irish Pub, The Scoop, The Spot 2 Be, Tasta Pizza, Tim Horton’s, Twist & Shake (Seasonal), Union

Tea Café, Union Whiskey, Village Green, Woodside Tavern on the Range, Zet’s Entertainment (Italian Ice Mobile Truck)

Retail stores and Services — 5 Star

Renovations and More, A-1 Rent All, Al Lemon’s Service, Allegany Beverage & Redemption, Allen’s Liquor Store, Ashley Furniture, Ask Design Jewelers, Askey General Supply, Beach House Tanning Salon, Beat City Music, Best Western Plus University Inn, Birch Run Country Club, Brittany’s Touch, Cabinet World, Canticle Farm, Carpet Express, Carpet Town/Carpet One Carpy’s Screen printing,

Cayas Canopies, Comfort Zone, Cuba Cheese Shoppe, CUTCO/KaBar Visitors Ctr., Dance Arts, Divine Drops, Enchanted Mountain Kustom LLC, Enchanted Valley Inn, Fairfield Inn & Suites, Forbidden Roots, HammerBack Bar and Grill, Hammonds Furniture Store, Hampton Inn & Suites Hotel, Holiday Inn Express, Home Outlet, JCC Bookstore, John Ash Cleaners, Johnson Distributing, Jordan Photography and Consulting, Kevin’s Custom Creations, Kustom Lawn Kare, LLC, Light Work Farm, Mandys ...continued on next page

Bradford Publishing Company • JANUARY 25, 2024

Flowers, Marshalls General Maintenance, Mastel Ford Lincoln, Mattress Express, McCarthy’s Emporium, Metro Mattress, Meyers Custom Electronics, Microtel Inn & Suites, Miller’s Farm Market, Miss Heidi’s Music Studio, Neighborhood School of Dance, New Lantern Motel, Old Library Inn, Olean Area Farmers Market - Lincoln Park, Olean Carpet Cleaning & Restore, Olean Cornhole, Olean Creative Mailing, Olean General Hosp. Gift Shop, Olean Times Herald, On The Side Liquor, Paper Factory, Panvenni Films, Pfeiffer Nature Center, Pleasant Valley Greenhouses, Premo Limousine Service, Proto Financial Group, Pumpkinville (Seasonal), Raise The Bar Woodworks,

Raymour and Flanigan, Ricks Golf World, Rock City Park, Ron’s Smoke Shop, Rusty Rooster Farm & Vintage LLC, Seven Roads Media, Sherwin Williams, Site Team, Sound Track, Southern Tier Com. Strategies, LLC, Southern Tier Electric Supply, Southern Tier Event Planning, Sports Locker, St. Bonaventure University, St. Vincent De Paul, STAPLES, Stayer’s Greenhouse, The She Garage, The Sonnet Course, Thoughtful Plan Inc., Toad’s Butcher Shop, Twin Tiers Outerwear, Uptown Florist, West End Beverage Redemption, Western New York Glass, Whitetail Country Sports, William O. Smith Rec Center, Wingate by Wyndham, Worth W. Smith

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JANUARY 25, 2024 • Bradford Publishing Company

Bradford Publishing Company • JANUARY 25, 2024

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JANUARY 25, 2024 • Bradford Publishing Company

Local brides are rethinking some traditions

By Savannah Barr

Brides these days are looking to make their wedding into a unique experience for their guests. Rather than follow the traditional wedding playbook, some people are setting a new course by focusing on sustainability, and practicality; truly making their wedding reflect their values as a couple.

“One of the ways I am seeing people break with tradition is by omitting the bouquet or garter toss,” said Mackenzie Rehe, local wedding planner.

“Another way is that many people are straying from the traditional cake or cake cutting by doing things like cupcakes,” she added.

Many brides don’t want to overload their guests with things like wedding favors and are thinking of more unique ways to show appreciation to their guests.

“A few months ago I

had a couple who, rather than do actual favors on the table, donated to a local charity on behalf of all their guests,” Rehe recalled.

“They had a card at each setting that basically said, ‘We have donated in your honor to these local charities,’” she added.

Many couples have an eye towards sustainability in another way, by reusing or borrowing decorations.

“Especially for onetime-use items like arches, I am seeing people buy these secondhand from places like the Facebook marketplace,” Rehe said.

When it comes to flowers, some are choosing dried arrangements or more outdoor flowers.

“I know for some people this year we are doing things like hanging baskets or porch baskets,” said Karen Ordiway, owner of Proper’s Florist and Greenhouse.

“Some people are going for a more wildflower-look with their arrangements,” she added.

There are even couples choosing to use seasonal fruits in their arrangements or on their table centerpieces.

“One thing I just love, for say, a summer wedding is to use lemons or limes in your centerpieces,” said Rehe.

“Or even family photos used as their centerpieces,” she added.

After so many years in the business, Ordiway says that she sees many trends come and go.

“But, at the end of the day, whether it is roses or wildflowers it is just personal opinion and personal taste,” Ordiway said.

“It is whatever makes a bride feel good about her special event,” she added.

Bradford Publishing Company • JANUARY 25, 2024

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JANUARY 25, 2024 • Bradford Publishing Company

Bradford Publishing Company • JANUARY 25, 2024

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JANUARY 25, 2024 • Bradford Publishing Company

The benefits to hosting a wedding ceremony and reception at the same venue Streamlining the wedding planning process can help couples feel relaxed and enable them to more fully enjoy their big day.

Hosting a wedding ceremony and reception at the same location is one way to streamline and simplify the planning process.

According to the wedding resource Here Comes the Guide, all-inone venues are preferred by the majority of modern engaged couples. Couples contemplating such an approach can consider the following benefits to tying the knot and hosting the reception at the same venue.

• Streamlined planning: Rather than having to coordinate with two places, all of couples’ attention can be directed to one location and working with one party coordinator.

This can reduce the propensity for mix-ups.

• Ease of transport: Figuring out how to move between multiple locations and schedule hired vehicles and the like can be a chore.

With one venue, guests simply arrive and are done with travel until the festivities end.

• Seamless

transition:

Sometimes there can be an awkward period between the ceremony and the reception.

In such situations, a

ceremony may end but the cocktail hour is still an hour or two away. A ceremony and reception in one locale can eliminate the gap, as such venues typically begin the cocktail hour a short time after the ceremony has ended.

• Better guest

attendance: Guests

who may find it challenging to get to two different locations, particularly those who don’t drive or must rely on public transportation or a taxi, may find a singlelocation wedding more convenient.

• Outdoor ceremony: Couples who want to exchange vows

outdoors often can do so when they have one wedding location because the nuptials are taking place outside of a house of worship, which may not allow for an outdoor wedding due to the sanctity of the location.

• Fewer travel worries: With a single location, it makes it much easier if inclement weather dampens the occasion because there is far less traveling involved.

Couples can keep in mind that a single-location wedding may come with some challenges.

Unless the location is on the grounds of a house of worship, the wedding may lack the religious or spiritual component that some couples aspire to.

Also, weather can cause issues if couples had hoped to have the ceremony outdoors and must move it into the same space as the reception as a plan B, necessitating a turnover of the room.

Couples also may be limited in their photo backdrops, as there will not be two separate places where photos are taken, particularly if the wedding space is limited.

Hosting a ceremony and reception at a single location can benefit couples who want to simplify and streamline their wedding planning.

Bradford Publishing Company • JANUARY 25, 2024

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JANUARY 25, 2024 • Bradford Publishing Company

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Bradford Publishing Company • JANUARY 25, 2024

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JANUARY 25, 2024 • Bradford Publishing Company

Clever ways to invite people to be in your wedding party Plenty of love and effort goes into coordinating a dream wedding.

Although the happy couple garners most of the spotlight on such momentous occasions, they’re not the only ones who will feature prominently in the wedding.

The wedding party is made up of bridesmaids, groomsmen, a ring bearer, a flower girl, ushers, and other guests of honor, such as a couple’s parents.

The wedding resource The Knot reports that old school etiquette once indicated there should be one groomsman and one corresponding bridesmaid for every 50 guests, although four bridesmaids and four groomsmen tends to be the average nowadays.

Choosing who will be included in the wedding party requires forethought and should not be rushed.

The rule of thumb is to ask roughly a year to eight months before the wed-

ding so those asked have time to prepare. When that time comes, these fun ideas can help couples invite loved ones to be in the wedding party with style.

• Say it with a treat. Remember those heart-shaped candies that come out at Valentine’s Day that are printed with various sentiments, like “Be mine”? Replicate the idea by giving prospective wedding party members cookies iced to look like tuxedos and bridesmaid gowns with a phrase like “Will you?”

• Give personalized drinkware. Whether it’s wine glasses or flasks, have drinkware engraved with the names of who is being asked so that everyone can toast when they

say yes. In the event that someone declines, that person will still have a thoughtful momento.

• Make custom

scratch-off cards.

This is one gamble that is likely to pay off when you present loved ones and friends with scratch-off tickets that reveal the question, “Will you be my bridesmaid/ groomsman?”

• Put together swag bags. Take a page out of fashion shows or celebrity parties and package some luxury items into gift bags for those special people you want to stand by your side on your wedding day.

High-end grooming products, jewelry, electronics accessories, and more can be great gifts for those who are

likely to be in your wedding party.

• Gift robes or T-shirts: Plan ahead for staged and coordinated photos by purchasing matching robes or T-shirts for all the besties in the wedding party. Those who are up for having a good time will have no problem wearing the matching outfits when out for weddingrelated events.

• Fill balloons

with confetti and messages. Ask friends

and loved ones to pop balloons to reveal your request that they be in the wedding party.

Engaged couples may have many close friends and loved ones they want to stand by their side during the wedding.

There are plenty of fun ways to ask them to be part of the celebration.

Bradford Publishing Company • JANUARY 25, 2024

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JANUARY 25, 2024 • Bradford Publishing Company

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Bradford Publishing Company • JANUARY 25, 2024

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JANUARY 25, 2024 • Bradford Publishing Company

Tips to help master your wedding guest list Weddings are such momentous occasions that it’s no wonder couples want to share their big days with as many people as possible. Though a wedding where all friends, family members and acquaintances are in attendance may be a dream scenario, reality often calls for a more carefully curated guest list.

Data from The Wedding Report indicates that the average cost of a wedding is slightly more than $20,000, though that figure could be substantially higher, or even lower, depending on where couples tie the knot. Both The Wedding Report and The Knot report that a wedding venue and catering make up a significant percentage of the overall cost of a wedding, with some figures indicating that these expenses account for around 65 percent of the final price tag. The number of guests couples will host on their wedding day will affect which venue they book and how much food and beverages they’ll need to satisfy guests. Couples who hope to stay within budget can consider these tips as they try to build a guest list that won’t break the bank.

• Accept input.

Parents may no longer foot the entire bill for their children’s

weddings, but couples who are accepting some financial help from parents must also accept Mom’s and Dad’s input regarding the guest list. Even if parents’ desired guests do not ultimately make the cut, it’s best to respect their wishes and consider who they want to invite. Couples who are financing their own weddings without outside help need not feel beholden to invite anyone who does not meet their invitation criteria.

• Make a preliminary

list without regard to budget. Couples

can have fun making preliminary guest lists without considering their budgets. A preliminary list can serve as a solid starting point, and couples may even realize that their list is within budget.

Once the preliminary

lists have been created, couples can categorize guests (i.e., distant cousins, coworkers, etc.) and then work together to determine if any categories can be eliminated from the invitation list. For example, couples who may be going over budget with their guest lists can each agree to remove distant cousins from their prospective invitees.

• Seek advice. Many couples face difficult decisions regarding their wedding day guest lists, so it can be helpful to speak to a recently married friend or relative to see how they handled paring down their guest lists.

Some might have done it by category, while others might have limited guest lists to local friends and family. When taking this approach,

couples can speak to friends about how they approached handling people who were surprised that they were not on the final list of invitees.

• Throw a less formal

party down the road. A less expensive

backyard barbecue within weeks of tying the knot can serve as a less costly alternative to a large wedding reception. Couples who take this approach can keep their wedding day guest lists to a minimum, but invite everyone they hope to see to a post-wedding day backyard barbecue or pot luck picnic so they can celebrate with everyone they love.

Curating a wedding day guest list is no small task. However, couples can try various approaches to keep a guest list more manageable and less expensive.

Bradford Publishing Company • JANUARY 25, 2024

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JANUARY 25, 2024 • Bradford Publishing Company

Did you know?

A number of variables affect how much engaged couples will spend on their weddings.

Personal preferences, location and the season in which couples get married are just some of the factors that can affect the final cost of a wedding.

However, one aspect couples can count on regarding wedding spending is the reception will likely require the most significant financial investment.

The Knot 2022 Real Weddings Study found that the average cost of a wedding in 2022 was $30,000.

The study also found that the biggest investment couples make is the venue. Couples indicated they spent about 37 percent of their overall budget on a wedding venue. Though some couples may spend more than that and others may spend less, engaged couples currently planning their weddings should know that the cost of the venue where they will tie the knot will likely end up requiring the most significant investment of any component related to their wedding.

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Bradford Publishing Company • JANUARY 25, 2024

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JANUARY 25, 2024 • Bradford Publishing Company